He has made his debut in the MAXXI piazza. As the winner of the Young Architects Program (YAP) in Rome, Turin-based studio Bam! Bottega di Architettura metropolitan has transformed the concrete facade of the Zaha Hadid-designed museum into a visual spectacular with the installation of a yellow, translucent and aerostatic prism.

Heneghan Peng Architects has won an international competition for a new National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA) at Moscow’s Khodynskoe Pole. Selected from a shortlist of three, the Dublin-based practice will now further develop their winning scheme which vertically stacks exhibition spaces as flexible “trays” to maximize accessibility and visually connect the NCCA’s activities to the surrounding landscape.

Once complete, the large-scale building will host a variety of permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as lectures, professional conferences, concerts, performances, studios, art education facilities and more.

Austrian Bramberger Architects have won the international competition to design the new High Tech Center in Villach, Austria. The winning scheme proposes four blocks of buildings and a corresponding area of dedicated open spaces, articulated longitudinally by a main axle. This axle, named “Communications Promenade” acts as a central route between the buildings and, in the future, it is proposed to connect the surrounding buildings, promoting the necessary infra- structures for the creation of an investigation campus.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced today their decision to posthumously award the 2014 AIA Gold Medal to Julia Morgan, FAIA (1872-1957), “whose extensive body of work has served as an inspiration to a generation of female architects.”

“Julia Morgan is unquestionably among the greatest American architects of all time and a true California gem,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in her recommendation letter. “Morgan’s legacy has only grown over the years. She was an architect of remarkable breadth, depth, and consistency of exceptional work, and she is widely known by the quality of her work by those who practice, teach, and appreciate architecture.”

Just two days after the passing of R. Allen Eskew, FAIA, the New Orleans-based architect’s practice, Eskew + Dumez + Ripple (EDR), has been announced as the recipient of the 2014 AIA Architecture Firm Award. Presented by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the annual award is the highest honor bestowed by to a firm by the national institution. EDR is being recognized for “rigorously crafting Modernism to repair, restore, and enhance the exceptionally unique cultural and historic context of New Orleans.”

Vienna-based Delugan Meissl Associated Architects (DMAA) has been announced as winner of a competition to design a mixed-use, cultural complex in Munich. Dubbed Hanns Seidel Platz, the 40,500-square-meter scheme will provide a 160-unit “living tower,” office space, a civic center, concert hall and large public plaza for the district of Neuperlach.

This winning concept was developed in collaboration with the architecture firm Wimmer un Partner. It is expected for completion in 2019.

Thanks to our friends at Yale University Press, one of our readers has the opportunity to win a copy of the newly released book Wunderkammer by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien.

Eight international teams have been shortlisted to design a 100-meter tall Observation and Broadcast Tower for the historic city of Çanakkale. The competition, now in its second stage, has required each team to develop their schematic designs before submitting them to the jury in February. 

As stated by the competition brief, “competitors are strongly recommended to consider the technological requirements of the broadcasting tower and recreational potentials of a public entity with equal emphasis.” Once complete, the forested hilltop site will be transformed into a public destination, offering exhibition spaces, recreational facilities and observation decks, in addition to an “iconic antenna tower.”

The complete shortlist includes: 

Dubai has been selected as the host city for the Expo 2020, besting bids from Turkey, Brazil and Russia. This means HOK will now move forward as a lead designer by refining the site's 438-hectare master plan, which was inspired by Dubai’s “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” Expo theme.

"This win is a testament to the commitment of the UAE citizens to create a prosperous future for their country and region," said Daniel Hajjar, HOK's managing principal in Dubai. "We are proud to have been the lead designer of the Expo site and to be associated with producing a winning entry for the UAE so that this great country can continue to boost its reputation on a global stage."

More than 25 million is expected to attend during the Expo’s short, six-month duration. This will be the first time a Middle Eastern city to host this international exhibition in its 160-year history. Read on for more details on HOK's design.